Base of Operations: Mobile
Formerly, a travelling carnival, last located in Connecticut

First Appearance: Marvel Team-Up I#91 (March, 1980)

History: (Marvel Team-Up I#91 (fb) - BTS) - Moondark became employed by a travelling carnival, and to appease his demonic masters, began to secretly steal the carnival workers' souls, containing them in a "Soul Orb".

(Marvel Team-Up I#91) - While attending the carnvial, Peter Parker (accompanied by Glory Grant) noticed a line of posters for the sideshow, of which included "Gorilla Woman," "The Amazing Six-Armed Spider-Man," "The Blazing Skull," and "Muck Monster." Once inside, he saw the Muck Monster, which he first believed to be the Man-Thing, but then believed to be a man in a costume. When the Blazing Skull was brought out, Parker recognized the being as the Ghost Rider.

Returning to the carnival that night, Spider-Man encountered Moondark, who had taken control of the carnival and Ghost Rider. Moondark then sent the carnival workers to attack Spider-Man. The Amazing Six-Armed Spider-Man jumped on the real Spider-Man, only to be thrown to the side. Once Spider-Man and Ghost Rider managed to destroy the Soul Orb and defeat Moondark, the carnival workers' souls returned to them, freeing them from the Magician's power.

(Marvel Tales#256/2) - Three of the carnival workers, the Muck Monster, Six (formerly the Amazing Six-Armed Spider-Man) and Gorilla Girl (formerly Gorilla Woman), left to pursue their own futures. While walking down a road, they were almost hit by a car out of control. While trying to rescue the woman inside, Dr. Melloncamp, the three were attacked by the criminals Hammer and Anvil, who sought to recapture Melloncamp, as she had designed a process to keep the life-maintaining cable that bonded them repaired. The Freaks quickly defeated the villains and decided to become a team of super heroes.

Obviously, the back-up tale in Marvel Tales#256 (which reprinted MTU#91) that re-introduced the Freaks took place sometime right after the events in the original story, as Hammer and Anvil had been killed a few years earlier (real time, not Marvel time) by Scourge.

Muck Monster - Muck Monster possessed unknown powers, at least one of which was using his "mossy bracken" to smother flames, along with super strength. He had an apathetic view towards others and didn't really want to get involved in the fight against Hammer and Anvil.

--Marvel Team-Up I#91, Marvel Tales#256/2

Six - originally billed at the carnival as The Amazing Six-Armed Spider-Man, Six was the only member of what would become The Freaks who was observed attacking Spider-Man under Moondark's command. He appeared to be the leader of the trio, has six arms and is very agile.